A self-confessed Hyderabadi food lover, Suresh Raina is nevertheless loyal to the Chennai payan in him. “The new Sunrisers team is playing some very good cricket. But, Chennai Super Kings has been the best for five years now. We all have been working hard every season and we are doing the same even this year,” he says.
Dressed in a simple white T-shirt and trousers, the cricketer was having a good time posing for pictures and signing autographs for a few fans at the Nagarjuna Circle Adidas showroom on Tuesday.
Having been a part of one of the most consistent teams of IPL, the Chennai Super Kings led by Mahendar Singh Dhoni, he has been the match winner for them alongside his captain at many close-finishes. Ahead of the Chennai Super King’s match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Raina says that the Hyderabad Sunrisers this year is definitely one of the best contenders in the IPL. “They have a very good bowling attack, with players like Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma doing well. And even Karan Sharma is a good player. They have also been batting well and have a good team of youngsters.”
Quite positive about Chennai’s victory in the match today, Raina says, “We are focusing on our game and have been doing a good job in the season till now. We hope to continue the same and are definitely looking forward to the match.”
So, how does he analyse his game? He replies, “I am a very hard working guy. I always keep evaluating my game and try working on every aspect. I like to keep it simple and not think too much about anything. All I have on my mind is to just keep playing good cricket and keep performing better.”
The city also has a lot of happy memories for the cricketer. “I did play a lot of matches here, and have a lot of good memories. I love the hospitality here and the food is just delicious. Apart from all this, I just love the language here. People go like, ‘Kya miyan, kya karre tum' and all that; the culture is so much fun,” he signs off.